Blade sharpener and method of making the same



Oct. 6, 1953 L. J. RAAB BLADE SHARPENER AND METHOD oF MAKING THE sAME Filed May 13, 1950 m w m ATTORNEYS use of .liquid (treatment agents.. ,and .som ,t

UNITED LoFi-*1 ce 124654,1@4 ipnpppfsneppp-NER miplrrpopeop MAKING THE vLouis Raabflgower Saugen Township, '"Nothanptonuntyfpaf :Annemarie-.ere 19saeerie1-i-ieieim The .present irwentioil :relates to lex/ieee to be used in the sharpening of cutting blades, particularly .razor blades., gaudio ,methqdsrof mglgng such devices.

Numerous types ofrazroribladeSharpeniglg der y.vices have .heretofore `been suggested, m de and used Vand .in manyiof .these .thelactual ,Slllpeliing element, that .is theelementover .whioh'theplage to he sharpened `.is repeatedly passed, .has been `fabricated .of leather ,orothencured animal. hgle.

which .has 4been .given ...increased Apliability joy i the es given increased .capacity ".to weariawaythe'm .tal

.of .theknife being snarpenedby iheeddiuqlef granular or 'powdered :abrasive .Silbticles jlt has also .been heretofore .suggested ,that .a .single sharpening operation performed vvon ,a ,cutting blade, forinstaneearazor blademight withailvantage A.be performed AtWo .steDS., the mail@ beine' rst nassedoyepalsurfaee `:the clialiidter.- istics of which are .suchthat fa `Jse1.att\fe.1y 18.11.11@ wearing 4away Vof .the metal. of-tlieblade.islefieiiliei, and then `over a. surface. having loss ,.GalliQiily 4110 Wear .away the .blade .and A.irioreasei A capacity r.to .impart a smoothcontnuousedg, ,hemal ilihils vbeing subjected -to successive Qoperatiops which may becalled rouehineandpnishing operai' 'Commonly the twoY suriaces vof.such. a,Sharpe ing device are designated ,starting and .finishing surfaces, .and the ,presentgipyention relates to ,such a device 1 havirg .011e shappen'ngeurface gior finishing starting'the operation an'd a seeong vthe .sharpening voperation and fwljioh leaf-yes the .prises two strips rof .cnredhide.suitaplyisecupeg upon the opposite .faoes of arigirlioase ,or .spp portingmember equipped with@ handle. V,W 1,15@ the :supporting members .riefxll'y kan gov, .rail sense it is so formed that each 0f theshaipening strips is Slightly lyieldable llrsliddrA illlsilre. "a 4characteristic .found .11o-...be lhihly tziesrjxiable in devices .of thischaraoter. -.startip e;element -of theisharpener preferably-:comprisesiaistripgf pieskin ihrouehout--whioheereediiribilied mired@ .pockets of ran abrasive..mixtu11e,imei st ,l mixture of-aluminum .oxide ilioopiedrbiee ed zinev oxide. `The iabrasive :material ,is auseni-,o penetrate the pigslgin ignite deeply, nga substantially .all of the rylay .thro h 1th n V poruSSurfaoeo-the pies peirip imielrmeileil foreffecting:soep.deepipepeiratiozrodipprisi important feaiuiretofatiie;nwpdtioi-1...

:order :to A@enact :sich edeep penetratiop ed f2 abrasives is mixed with a quantity .of .petroleum I,iellyior :like sdboiapoe, .whoh has .been reduced byheat 4to .a iliqudiorm, and this .mixture '1S .spreades by,.rpeap.so.f .a brush, over Athe .suriaoe "of .the pieskinptrip -which'is to .Serve as ahold- Jer'lopmatrix therefor.' .T I'hestrip .with its .coet- 4,ipeiof fmxedLpetroleum J'ellydrri .abrasiyegpowder is lthenfspbieoted toa heating loperatiopheot .of .suiioeilt degreebeing 2lipplieicl Vfor die lelietoof .time [found Jto .be necessary; .to .cause ,the .liquo- `vded ,petrolepm jelly ,arid .epowdered abrasive .Learred .thereby 'to .polie die v.deeply .into .the pieslsirli passing between the bfrrdles .of .fibers .ofliyhiohthefpieskin is. oorpposed and .the abrasive material `being .,depostediip .this manner .in .me Spades 'between .the ,.bers- Theapplioetiop .olf ,heal-,pot only .sortes to .maintain .the jelly in eircoliqud .condition .that .it .may ,pepetrate :the ,pieskin to tperpaxiirlpin .extent '..bifit .further facilitates such penetratiqnfloyausing the ipers .of .the ,pigokin imperiali. and .the .spaces 4between Ltheberis to .inorease .The resulting artioleis Yfsherponer .of the .f stdrtertype, .able Ato pervade. .a ineens .forlrapidly .sharpening tool tbladeof apyohdroter.

' The Stripiorthosharpeper is fabrioa'te'd l`in a `generally @similar .manner `lout the cured .h'de Autilized is Aojowllnide'or.11.Qleohiol.e and Ltheabr.. iyermaterials-.ipoorporated into .the hide by using petroleum jelly and heatare `ciiffererit fin .composition .the .abrasive ,powder peine a mixtpreof ferricoxide. ,oxide and aluminum oxide. `,1..l1eowor pore Ldestrip, .coated with 1.a 'mixture ofgpetr. edm. lelly epd the .powdered oxidee is ,heated before, ...the .purpose .lilie- 'yyise .peine :to nldree he ipferstioes between thebersofthehi and aintain thepetroleiim gielI-y. ipliduidiorrp., ,thiis .oilitatipedeep pepe- .tratioploffiheobrdsiyepx,. es.

z.One of `.the oompletedpharpeners. ip o preferred form, is illustrated .the .accompanying jdrawipainwliioh .Figure lis @Perspective view ofthe-Sharpener;

,Fieurer-isfagsideeleyatiop;partlyhrokeniowey: 3nd y ,'Figdref yir oreer-itopqorl-. .li,r1e.e3-..3I ofmeure 1.2.. lzlieeshafrpener shown .in atl-.1e @form .of peddlefheiirre aebody tmwith-a-suiieble handle the-seeopd ripe..-

Strip. .iltwlwill-.fioe

that strip. Spacing blocks I8 and I9 are in- I serted into the slots I4 and I5, at the open ends of these slots, to prevent excessive-deection of the tongues I6 and I'I and to normally maintain the slots uniform in width. The walls of Ythe slots are transversely serrated VAas indicated in Figures 2 and 3, it having been found that a serrated surface such as that shown upon the underside of tongue I6 for instance gives that tongue increased yieldability, for a given tongue thickness, a desirable thickness `being approximately one-eighth inch.

In processing the starter strip I2, which is A quantity petroleum jelly which has been preferably heated to approximately 190 F., one part of the intermingled oxide, by weight, being added to two parts, by weight, of petroleum jelly, although the lratio of powdered oxide to jelly Ymay be varied .considerably if desired.

The mixture of powdered oxide and petroleum jelly, which is heated and in fluid condition, is then applied to the surface of the pigskin strip by any suitable means, as for instance by brush. v 'A fairly thick coating is desirable, a standard teaspoon full of the moxture being applied, for

instance, to the surface of a pigskin strip measur- .ing 8% inches in length and 1% inches in width, the coating being spread evenly or uniformly over the surface.

jelly and to constitute in actual use a sharpening element of superior character.

The nnishing strip may be, as previously stated. fabricated in substantially the same way as the starting strip, a mixture of abrasives being rst prepared, a quantity of such abrasives, by weight, being added to twice that much, by weight, petroleum jelly which is heated to 190D F., the mixture spread upon the surface of the leather strip, and the strip and coating being subjected to heat as before. Instead of pigskin, however, the

nfinishing strip is of horsehide or cowhide, these materials being diierent in texture from the pig- -skin and being more suitable to iinishing operations in the sharpening process. Furthermore,

the, abrasives which are added to the petroleum jelly have different characteristics, comprising intermingled oxide of iron, zinc and aluminum After the strip has been coated heat is applied i A l'to both the strip and the coating on its surface, this strip being maintained in horizontal posi- Qtion during the coating operation.

Heats of various intensities maybe employed and for various periods of time, the objective being to shrink the bers of the pigskin without, however,

damaging the strip in any way and to maintain the carrier, i. e. the petroleum jelly, in the form of a thin liquid to facilitate its entry into the pores or inter-ber spaces of the pigskin strip, Ataking with it the powdered oxides with which it has been mixed. It has been found that the heating operation may be adequately accomplished by placing the coated surface of the strip 'approximately two inches distance from a heat- `ing element which develops a constant temperajelly and the powdered oxides c :arried 'by the u oxide powdered so as to pass a screen of approximately 325 mesh. Thus such a quantity of intermingled abrasives may comprise, by volume, 55% ferrie oxide, 5% zinc oxide, and 40% aluminum oxide.

The 40% aluminum oxide is in the nature of a sediment which remains after treatment of aluminum oxide with water, such sediment being obtained in the following manner. Eight uid ounces of aluminum oxide are rst ground to such iineness that they will pass through a screen of approximately 325 mesh. The powdered oxide is then placed in two quarts of water fand the container containing the water and powder is then shaken vigorously for a minute or two. Substantially all of the water is then siphoned out of the container and the container and the small amount of water, with the powder which has largely settled to the bottom, is allowed Vto stand for twenty-four hours. Heat is applied then to completely evaporate the water and the sediment which remains at the bottom, and which is a sediment of aluminum oxide, is suitable for use in forming the abrasive mixture which is to be added to the petroleum jelly.

After the mixture of abrasive powder and jelly has been formed it is applied as before, 'subjected to heat as in the case of the starting strip, and the resulting "iinishing strip will be jfound to be especially well adapted to impart to a razor or knife blade a highly polished, extremely keen and smooth and continuous edge.

Having thus described the invention, what is fclaimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. In a blade Sharpener, a strip of cured animal hide having an imperforate strapping surface the pores or inter-fiber spaces of which, underlying vsaid surface, contain deposits of a mixture of powdered abrasive comprising aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, and zinc oxide, more than half of such mixture, by weight, being powdered aluminum oxide.

2. In a blade Sharpener, a strip of cured animal vhide having an imperforate stropping surface the 'pores or inter-fiber spaces of which, underlying said surface, contain deposits of a mixture of powdered abrasive comprising aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, and zinc oxide, approximately `65%, by volume, of said mixture being aluminum oxide, approximately 25% silicon carbide and approximately 10% zinc oxide.

3. The method of introducing finely powdered abrasive material into the pores or inter-fiber spaces of a strip of cured animal hide which comprises, mixing such material with petroleum jelly, spreading a layer of such mixture upon the surface of the strip, and subjecting the strip and the mixture thus applied to the action of heat until the jelly and abrasive carried thereby has penetrated the hide.

4. The method of introducing finely powdered 5 abrasive material into the pores or inter-iiber spaces of a strip of cured animal hide which comprises mixing one part, by weight, of powdered abrasive with two partsI by weight, of petroleum jelly which has been liqueiled by heat,

' spreading a layer of the mixture thus formed on tion.

. LOUIS J. RAAB.

6 References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number 20 428,489 550,822

Name Date Budd May 1, 1877 Tower et al Feb. 6, 1883 Darling July 31, 1883 Riegert Mar. 7, 1893 Craw July 31, 1906 Reno Feb. 18, 1908 Shattuck Mar. 21, 1916 Wise Sept. 28, 1920 Ferster et al Nov. 2, 1926 Fuller et al Aug. 22, 1933 Crockett Oct. 5, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France June 22, 1911 France Dec. 21, 1922 

